Theta Digital Dreadnaught II - Manual (Page 17)

OPERATION
Before turning on the Dreadnaught II, ensure that all precautions and warnings have been carefully reviewed
and adhered to. Damage to the Dreadnaught II caused by improper operation, wiring and/or ventilation will
not be covered under warranty and Theta will not be liable for any consequential damage or loss.
When first turning on the rear panel power switch, the red STANDBY LED on the front panel will illuminate,
indicating that all channels are in standby mode. When in standby, the signal is muted and the output bias of
each channel is reduced to approximately 10 percent. The SURROUND LED on the front panel will
illuminate green, indicating that all channels, regardless of which buss they are assigned to, will come on
when the amplifier is taken out of standby.
The two front panel buttons operate independently. The STANDBY button toggles between standby and
operate. When in standby, the front panel STANDBY LED will be red and when out of standby, this same
LED will be green. The SURROUND button activates/deactivates the channel(s) that been assigned to the
surround buss via their rear panel switch. When the surround buss is active, the SURROUND LED on the
front panel will illuminate green. When the surround buss is inactive, the front panel SURROUND LED will
be off. The surround buss may be turned on or off regardless of whether the unit is in standby or operate.
The state of the surround buss is unaffected by the standby state.
Each module can be assigned to operate on either the STEREO or SURROUND buss. When the
Dreadnaught II has more than two modules installed in it, it is recommended that the front left and right
channels be set to STEREO and all remaining channels be set to SURROUND, via the rear panel
STEREO/SURROUND switch. In the STEREO mode (front panel SURROUND LED off), any channels set
to the STEREO buss will operate. In the SURROUND mode (front panel SURROUND LED illuminates
green), all channels will operate.
Single and Two channel Modules
The Dreadnaught II can be loaded with any combination of modules. Those available are single (mono) and
two channel (stereo) modules. Each module can be set to operate individually on the stereo or surround
buss.
Note: The speaker output polarity on the single channel module is reversed compared to the two channel
module. The maximum spade lug thickness for the two channel module is 1/16”
Remote Triggers
When the rear panel STANDBY TRIGGER jack receives a 5-12 VDC pulse, the Dreadnaught II will change
its state from either standby to operate, or operate to standby, depending on what the current state is.
When the rear panel SURROUND TRIGGER jack receives a 5-12 VDC pulse, the Dreadnaught II’s surround
buss will change from its current status, either on or off.
Use a 1/8” (3.5mm) mono plug for these jacks.
RS232
RS232 is an option in the Dreadnaught II. It can be installed at any time either at the factory or an authorized
Theta dealer. All functions of the Dreadnaught II can be controlled and monitored via RS232, using either
the RJ45 or DB9 connector. As long as the rear panel power switch in turned on, the RS232 circuitry is
always active, thus allowing the Dreadnaught II to be taken out of STANDBY via RS232.
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